Japan is boosting its intelligence resources devoted to China's growing military, which it considers the top national security concern, the business daily Nikkei reported Sunday. The defence ministry-affiliated National Institute for Defence Studies (NIDS) has established a task force of six researchers to examine China's national security strategy, the daily said.
It will study the strategic thinking guiding the People's Liberation Army, the purpose of its recent military build-up and its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, the daily said. The team will be expanded into a fuller unit in two or three years, Nikkei added.
China's military budget has risen steadily in recent years but much remains unknown about the size of its military forces and the equipment they use. The Tokyo government has warily watched China's growing military might and has called on Beijing to be more transparent about its intentions.
This month, 10 Chinese naval vessels, including two submarines, were seen sailing through international waters between Japan's southernmost islands, heading south-east into the Pacific Ocean. Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said at the time that Tokyo had never before monitored such a large group of Chinese warships in the region.